Alaska Stat. § 15.13.090

Current through Chapter 3 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 15.13.090 - Identification of communication
(a) All communications shall be clearly identified by the words "paid for by" followed by the name and address of the person paying for the communication. In addition, except as provided by (d) of this section, a person shall clearly
(1) provide the person's address or the person's principal place of business;
(2) for a person other than an individual or candidate, include
(A) the name and title of the person's principal officer;
(B) a statement from the principal officer approving the communication; and
(C) unless the person is a political party, identification of the name and city and state of residence or principal place of business, as applicable, of each of the person's three largest contributors under AS 15.13.040(e)(5), if any, during the 12-month period before the date of the communication.
(b) The provisions of (a) of this section do not apply when the communication
(1) is paid for by an individual acting independently of any other person;
(2) is made to influence the outcome of a ballot proposition as that term is defined by AS 15.13.065(c); and
(3) is made for
(A) a billboard or sign; or
(B) printed material other than an advertisement made in a newspaper or other periodical.
(c) To satisfy the requirements of (a)(1) of this section and, if applicable, (a)(2)(C) of this section, a communication that includes a print or video component must have the following statement or statements placed in the communication so as to be easily discernible, and, in a broadcast, cable, satellite, Internet or other digital communication, the statement must remain onscreen throughout the entirety of the communication; the second statement is not required if the person paying for the communication has no contributors or is a political party:

This communication was paid for by (person's name and city and state of principal place of business). The top contributors of (person's name) are (the name and city and state of residence or principal place of business, as applicable, of the largest contributors to the person under AS 15.13.090(a)(2)(C)).

(d) Notwithstanding the requirements of (a) of this section, in a communication transmitted through radio or other audio media and in a communication that includes an audio component, the following statements must be read in a manner that is easily heard; the second statement is not required if the person paying for the communication has no contributors or is a political party:

This communication was paid for by (person's name). The top contributors of (person's name) are (the name of the largest contributors to the person under AS 15.13.090(a)(2)(C)).

(e) Contributors required to be identified under (a)(2)(C) of this section must be listed in order of the amount of their contributions. If more than three of the largest contributors to a person paying for a communication contribute equal amounts, the person may select which of the contributors of equal amounts to identify under (a)(2)(C) of this section. In no case shall a person be required to identify more than three contributors under (a)(2)(C) of this section.
(f) The provisions of this subsection apply to a person who makes an independent expenditure for a communication described in (a) of this section. If the person paying for the communication is not a natural person, the provisions also apply to the responsible officer or officers of the corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, labor organization, business trust, or society who approve the independent expenditure for the communication. A person who makes a communication under this subsection may not, with actual malice, include within or as a part of the communication a false statement of material fact about a candidate for election to public office that constitutes defamation of the candidate. For purposes of this subsection, a statement constitutes defamation of the candidate if the statement
(1) exposes the candidate to strong disapproval, contempt, ridicule, or reproach; or
(2) tends to deprive the candidate of the benefit of public confidence.
(g) To satisfy the requirements of (a)(1) of this section and, if applicable, (a)(2)(C) of this section, a communication paid for by an outside-funded entity as that term is defined in AS 15.13.400(15) that includes a print or video component must have the following statement placed in the communication so as to be easily discernible, and, in a broadcast, cable, satellite, Internet or other digital communication, the statement must remain onscreen throughout the entirety of the communication; the statement is not required if the outside entity paying for the communication has no contributors or is a political party: "A MAJORITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO (OUTSIDE-FUNDED ENTITY'S NAME) CAME FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE OF ALASKA."

AS 15.13.090

Amended by 2020 Ballot Measure 1, passed by voters in 11/3/2020 election, eff. 2/1/2021.
Amended by SLA 2013, ch. 73,§§sec.7, sec.8, sec.9 eff. 1/1/2014.